Reports started to come in as far back as 2013 about "dumpster diving" which is quite prevalent in places like Miami. The Local 10 News reporter Jeff Weinsier blew the lid on this controversial topic but it would seem like the practice continues well into this day.
He reported then how the garbage of Miami Produce Center was being turned into an unlicensed and unsanitary business.
How does it work? Well, it is fairly straightforward. Local 10 News cameras got footage of how these "divers" do their job. After pulling out old and rotting fruits and vegetables from the dumpster, a "diver" would then move to a different location, set up shop, and sell the produce to unknowing customers.
When asked for comment, chief sanitation inspector Willie Timmons said, "This is not supposed to be going on. We are trying to make this a thing of the past." He also says that since the story ran in 2013 that the city has doubled its inspectors in the area and that things are much better now.
Even though they are "isolated incidents" Timmons says that, "It has to stop."
Some of these "dumpster divers" even go as far as reboxing and repackaging their newfound inventory. They were approached but they denied any involvement with the practice. Of course, the video proof from day after day says otherwise.
Also interviewed were the customers of these illegal businesses who also denied any knowledge of the practice. However, video proof also shows small restaurant owners who purchase the items at huge discounts.
Unsuspecting customers from door-to-door reselling must also have no idea where the produce comes from, leaving them vulnerable to health issues.
It is quite disturbing that dumpsters, which should be locked as per Miami code, are left just like that to be rummaged through. Flies and maggots infest the trash and "dumpster diving" is clearly of concern to all residents in Miami.
